The present invention relates to portable stoves, and more specifically to a multi-purpose collapsible portable stove having, for example, a hoist assembly from which to raise and lower food for cooking, a burner-in-burner assembly, and a table configuration.
Portable stoves are popular cooking appliances, especially for use while camping or picnicking. Portable stoves commonly are powered by combustible gases, such as propane gas. A typical portable stove includes a stove frame, one or more burner assemblies arranged in the frame, and a gas supply coupled to the burner assembly via a control valve. Smaller versions convenient for backpacking may be not much larger than the gas canister itself, while larger versions designed for group camping may be the size of a large briefcase. The larger portable stoves typically are designed to rest on a picnic table and open and close in a manner similar to that of a hard-sided suitcase. As with a suitcase, there may be a handle in the middle of the long, narrow front panel for carrying the portable stove in the closed position.
While these larger, suitcase-style portable stoves work well for heating small to medium-sized pans and skillets, they are of limited use. Generally, they require a separate table on which to rest, they have a limited range of heating (either a low range or a high range), they do not provide shelf space on which to rest items, and they often cannot accommodate cooking large items, such as a turkey. It would be advantageous to have a portable stove which has collapsible legs permitting it to stand alone. It would also be advantageous to be able to configure the portable stove as either a stove or as a table, with the option of a self-contained shelf, depending on the needs of the user. The user may also desire to cook larger dishes, such as a turkey, so it would be useful to have a stable construction supporting a hoist assembly from which to hang larger items for cooking, such as by deep-frying. While it would be preferable that the stove be powerful enough to heat large items, it nonetheless would also be desirable that the stove have a low minimum power output for heating small pans without overheating them.
The present invention provides a collapsible portable stove including a chassis, side tables, a shelf assembly, leg assemblies, a fuel delivery system, a burner system, a windscreen assembly, and a hoist assembly. A fuel supply, such as a propane gas canister, attaches to the fuel delivery system to supply gas for combustion. In a collapsed position, the stove and its components fold together to resemble a rectangular suitcase, the components being self-contained therein. The stove may be expanded from the collapsed position to several configurations, including high- and low-profile exposed-burner stove configurations having side tables, an optional hoist assembly and an optional middle shelf, and high- and low-profile covered-burner table configurations, optionally having side tables and a middle shelf, and high- and low-profile stove/table combination configurations having a side table, an optional hoist assembly and an optional middle shelf